When the tsunami hit Sri Lanka in December 2004, many children died and those who survived the horror were traumatised by the massive disaster. The nation was completely disturbed after the tsunami.
Sri Lanka developed a strategy to deal with this situation and bring these children out of the psychological trauma. They were concerned about the feelings of Sri Lankan children who were suffering from depression, anxiety and psychological despair and how to recover.
The Sri Lankan state directed all their leadership, all the money, all the teachers and other human resources into improving the condition of these children; they did not want their future generations to suffer from the same mental stress they had to deal with.
A few months after the tsunami in 2005, Sri Lankan children presented their artworks to share their true feelings of hardship. It was incredible to see how they had recovered from the shock relying on their coping and drawing skills. .
In Pakistan, there is no strategy that addresses child protection and the psychological issues they struggle with during and post disasters. In every calamity, these children, especially the orphans, become psychologically disturbed and it takes years for them to recover from this trauma.
According to a report ‘Information on Floods in Pakistan and Historical Analysis of Impact Assessment and Related Responses (1947-2022)’ updated by SIDRA BIBI, since the establishment of Pakistan, there have been 42 floods that have affected Pakistan and in different parts of all provinces.
Even in 2022, the flood caused the same damages and losses as it did in our initial capacity. During the British era they had some protocols and plans to handle floods but now our situation is getting worse. This year, most of the victims affected by this mega flood are children and many have been left orphaned.
Many of the adverse effects of disasters can be prevented by making efforts to reduce these risks. Mostly, we ignore many aspects without thinking or solving within our capacity. Most of our priority in disaster has always been to save them and get them to the right place but we leave a lot in between that we have to take care of these children, especially orphans.
This mega flood 2022 has put almost all the children in trouble and further displaced them from their temporary settlements. According to the United Nations survey, there are 3.4 million children in Pakistan. Almost all these children need special care in this chaotic time. And children in our country are displaced, yet they lie hungry and barefoot on the streets even two months of period.
The flood displaced children in Sindh have been spending long nights under the open sky since June 2022 and the barking of dogs around them scares them even more. In their innocent manner they speak about how they feel and what they have observed. Many are suffering from various water borne diseases and they don’t get food on time. Earlier many children were out of school in Sindh, now this flood has only doubled the ratio. And there are many other children’s issues that need our full attention and need to consider credible measures to mitigate them.
After looking at all the current aspects and our existing conditions, if we want to save the future of Pakistan then first of all we have to give priority to children especially orphans in this flood. Children who are affected by heavy rains need special care and our full attention and more resources ought to be channelled to adopt Sri Lanka’s strategy to get them out of this dire situation.
Very well written dear.